


A Gift Worth Almost Dying For

by orphan_account



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Higgs is a smug bastard as usual, Idiot evil ex-postman has never been given a present before, M/M, Makeouts are literally all I write these days and AO3 is just going to have to deal with it, Other, Rated for Higgs' stupid hot topic boner, Reader's gender not specified, like... a lot of kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22850209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: I wrote a dumb setup so reader could snog Higgs. What more do you want from me?
Relationships: Higgs Monaghan/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 91





	1. Escape

You clutched your prize close to your chest as your legs ran on autopilot, the rhythm of your boots on the grass drowned out by the blood rushing between your ears. An electric pole whizzed past your face and you had to divert course, but the adrenaline coursing through your body left you mostly unfazed. You were almost out of MULE territory, out of the area in which they’d bother chasing after you. 

Another spear flew close by, this one just nicking the small container full of salvaged resins off your shoulder; tape tearing open and contents spilling all over the ground. Shit. You didn’t have much time to worry about losing it, but you figured the dropped materials might prove a useful distraction to the cargo-hungry thieves. You had a good idea of the way their minds worked, after all, were  _ you _ not also stealing cargo from  _ them _ , just for a different ultimate goal? In this world, these twisted games of pass the parcel were just part of your average day.

The shouts grew more distant as you ducked behind a rock formation, finding your offroad bike exactly as you’d left it. Thankfully, it seemed like the MULEs were more interested in what you’d left behind than they were in following you any further. Barely a moment had passed before you strapped the remaining spoils of your raid to the vehicle and sped off in the direction of your group’s closest camp. If there were no further interruptions, you’d make it back by sundown.

Over the revving of the engine and the scrape of wheels against dirt, you made a quick checklist of everything you’d managed to take from the outpost under your breath. Some medical supplies, a valuable-looking gadget from before the Stranding, a fair amount of chiral crystals… and that special item you’d been holding so tightly onto. You wanted to make sure you took especially good care of that one.

As the sight of your camp came into view, currently no more than a small blob in the distance, you sent out a signal to let your allies know that the person approaching was one of their own. If you didn’t, one of the more violent types might attack first. You didn’t always appreciate the company you were holed up with, but you’d rather live with these guys than those UCA-hopefuls. As if there was really any chance of bringing everything back together again, you thought. You’d read what scant history files you could get your hands on - pre-Stranding humanity didn’t sound like the utopia everyone made it out to be in the first place. There was no way you’d stand by and let the world become  _ that _ kind of place again. You figured working for a known evil was less horrifying than submitting to another, unknowable one.

That’s why you made company with Homo Demens.


	2. Reward

Having stowed away the majority of your spoils in the secure lockers, you gazed down at the book in your arms that you were cradling like a precious newborn. It was in near-mint condition, something quite rare for a pre-Stranding book of this size and weight. In fact, it seemed almost encyclopaedic in dimensions. It was a history book about an ancient civilization from a faraway land - Ancient Egypt, to be precise.

You were going to gift it to your boss.

A flutter spread through your chest at the thought of him, and you ducked into an unoccupied mess tent in an attempt to hide your blush from passersby. You’d been crushing on him for as long as you could remember, to the point where you could barely get out a sentence in front of him without staring at the floor and stuttering. Everyone seemed to pick up on it (how could they not?) and it was the subject of much teasing, but he was either unwilling to bring it up or totally oblivious himself. 

Could a man like him even feel those sorts of things?

Such a question was pushed to the back of your mind as you flipped through some of the pages. Your eyes came to rest on a passage about how it was believed the pharaoh used to call down the rains to flood the Nile every crop season. Yes, that definitely reminded you of a certain someone.

You grabbed a roll of brown paper and some twine string from a nearby cupboard, and tried your best to fashion something that resembled a wrapped gift. You weren’t even sure if he’d appreciate the gesture in the slightest, but any chance at gaining his favour seemed like good enough odds to you. The faintest hope you might see a smile on the face you found so unbearably handsome, the face you considered yourself lucky you were even allowed to see… most people didn’t get that privilege, just your inner circle in this camp and perhaps a select few others.

Admiring your admittedly rushed handiwork, you let your mind swim in countless scenarios, each marginally different from the next, in which he thanked you with a pat on the shoulder, a ruffle of your hair, perhaps even a kiss on the cheek, or-

‘A little birdy told me you just got back from another raid.’

It took a second to realise that the voice wasn’t coming from one of your daydreams, but instead right behind you. You spun around and looked up hesitantly; the piercing blue eyes of Higgs Monaghan stared right back, framed in contrasting jet black. Tripping over your words, you tried to say something as he wiped away a stray tear that had been caused by his chiral jump. You noticed his eyeliner smudge a little, and your sentence got caught in your throat.

‘I-I, uh…’

Whatever you had wanted to get out of your mouth trailed off the minute the corners of his mouth twisted into that  _ damned _ smirk. Your shyness always amused him, and he was an expert in getting under people’s skin without even trying. 

‘I saw you managed to find some meds in your haul. Good job, we’ve been runnin’ low on lidocaine for a while now.’

The praise was like music to your ears, but you were more than a little distracted by the realisation he was in casual bunker attire as opposed to the uniform you usually saw him in. He was wearing a blank sleeveless top that hugged his torso in a way you really appreciated, paired with baggy combats that somehow suited him perfectly. The rare sight of his bare arms had your mind reeling like some kind of Victorian maiden at the slightest hint of an ankle. Suddenly, you remembered that conversations tended to be two-way things, and you lurched out of your little fantasy.

‘Ah, thanks…’

‘Cat got your tongue? You’re usually so...  _ chatty _ with the others.’

The flash of teeth in his grin told you that he was winding you up on purpose now. Suddenly realising that nobody else was around, you leaned your hands back against the table for support, your hands jumping when they touched the brown paper package you had totally forgotten about. He noticed that you were hiding it, and tilted his head mischievously, continuing on in that drawl that gave you butterflies.

‘Oh? Found something else out there?’

You hadn’t planned out how exactly you were going to give it to him yet, so the question caught you off guard. Feeling your face light up hotter and hotter by the second, you looked down at your boots and racked your brain for a reply.

‘Nothing!’

‘Hey now, happens to us all. Sometimes you just find something too good to share. Let me guess… hm… dirty magazines?’

‘N-no!’

Higgs chuckled, and part of you wished the ground would just swallow you up. Seeing no other options to prove your innocence, you grabbed the package and thrust it at him without even making eye contact. Your voice cracked a little as you tried to speak.

‘It’s for you!’

This seemed to catch him unexpectedly.

‘Huh?’

‘I f-found it, and I thought you’d like it. It’s a gift.’

He didn’t motion to take it, so you slowly looked up at his face again. The man in front of you seemed genuinely confused.

‘Why are you giving me a gift?’

‘I… I don’t know!’

Did there have to be a reason? His reaction was leading you to wonder if he’d ever even received a gift of good nature before. You felt like you must have been giving him puppy-dog eyes, because after what seemed like an eternity he took the object from your hands, shaking it like a child might a birthday present.

‘Um… you can open it.’

‘Right, right.’

You watched nervously as Higgs wasted no further time pulling off the twine and paper wrap. You almost swore there was a twinkle in his eye when he looked down at the book, and the corners of his mouth betrayed his glee yet again. He laughed, but it was a different kind of laugh this time, one that seemed more genuine. That took you by surprise. He put a hand on your shoulder and you had to repress a shudder at the contact with his bare skin.

‘Damn sweetheart, this is quite a find. You know me well, huh?’

‘I just figured you… you might be i-interested.’

‘Look at you giving little ol’ me a present wrapped up all nice and shit. Anyone would think you’re trying to get on my good side.’

His hand squeezed your shoulder playfully and you squeaked involuntarily. Noticing your reaction, he lowered his voice a touch deeper and continued.

‘Of course… we both know why  _ you’re _ so keen to impress.’

He leaned down to get in your personal space, and you froze like a deer in headlights. All this time, he’d apparently been totally aware of your infatuation. Of course, he’d just saved the juicy little morsel of information until a point in time where he could exploit it. That was such a Higgs thing to do. Well, now you were trapped between him and the table, with his face so close to yours you could almost bump noses. Your cheeks were probably the colour of a stop light at this point, and your words could come out as nothing over a whisper.

‘I’m sorry-’

‘Shh.’

He pressed a finger to your lips to accentuate the point. You let him speak.

‘I’m flattered, after all, such a cutie like you…  _ well… _ ’

He moved away a couple of inches and it looked as though he might retreat from your vicinity, but at the last second he changed course and pulled you in by the back of the head, dragging his tongue over your cheek with the faintest sigh of satisfaction. The electric feeling that shot through you was more potent than anything the MULEs had been throwing at you earlier, and you couldn’t suppress the whimper that escaped you. He used his free hand to place the unwrapped book on the table, then rested it against the flat surface to pin you close to him. His voice dripped with sensuality, and you panted nervously.

‘Go on. Kiss me. I know you want to.’

Your head was spinning. Had you heard him correctly? There was no doubt about it, but you weren’t sure your body was going to let you move even a millimetre. You looked into his eyes, which were full of as much mischief as ever, but once again coherent thought had left you… well, stranded.

‘Higgs…’

‘What’s the matter, doll? Can’t ya do it?’

He was clearly having fun watching your impromptu panicking. The smug bastard really was going to stand there until you either made a move or squirmed away. Weighing up your options, you realised which of those was the one you really wanted, badly.

Your hands were shaking like leaves as you propped them on his shoulders. His gaze narrowed as he whispered approvingly.

‘That’s it...’

God, you really were about to explode if he kept talking like that. The seconds felt like whole minutes as you tilted your head, eyelids fluttering shut. You could have sworn you heard a faint hum of approval as you parted your lips ever so slightly and chastely pressed them to his own, though the sound of your palpitating heart in your eardrums might have just caused your brain to play tricks on you. 

His lips were soft. His skin was warm. You suddenly realised he smelled  _ really _ good. All the same, he didn’t kiss you back, and after a few seconds you pulled back to look at him. You didn’t know your boss could look quite so prideful, yet that malicious glint was ever present in his features.

‘Hmm… not bad for a first attempt,’ he said in a sing-song kind of voice, ‘but it’s my turn now.’

You couldn’t help but squeal as Higgs pushed you further back against the surface, suddenly kissing you with a lot more force than you’d been anticipating. One of his hands skirted over your side before grabbing your hips, keeping you still as he ran his hot, wet tongue over your lips. He was trying to make you moan, and you did, giving him the opportunity to slip into your mouth with a possessive growl. Despite your fluster you kissed him back with equal fervour, body feeling more like jelly with each passing second.

At some point your arms had draped over his shoulders and your hands had found their way to his hair without you realising. What finally brought your attention to it was when he bit down on your bottom lip, as you reflexively balled your fists, essentially pulling his hair. The pleased hiss he let out practically set you alight, and as he arched into your touch you felt a telltale, growing stiffness against your thigh that utterly undid what remaining defenses you were putting up. Part of you wished he would just rip your clothes off right that second and have you over the table.

‘Fuck…’ he panted against your skin, ‘think we need to take this somewhere else.’

He hadn’t expected to get quite so pent up by this little game. You gripped his waist with your legs as he teleported you to his private room, landing perfectly on the mattress with him looming over you, entire body language laced with intent. The grip of your thighs around him confirmed your suspicions - he was hard.

As he hurriedly reached for the buttons of your overalls, moving back in for more kisses, you decided you’d bring back curios for him more often in future.


End file.
